The present invention relates to liquid receiving devices, and more particularly to devices for measuring and collecting a discharge of liquid.
In the past, it has been found desirable to obtain various data pertaining to a liquid discharge. In particular, it was discovered that many urological problems could be readily diagnosed by analyzing information obtained during the natural voiding of urine by patients. Presently, various types of devices are utilized to obtain data on the urine stream, such as total volume, average flow rate, force, velocity, and configuration of the stream.
Most of these devices have suffered from less than total reliability because they have required the presence of one or more observers while the patient is voiding. It is obvious that administration of such devices in this manner creates sufficient psychological difficulties for many of the patients to effect voiding. Consequently, if the patients void at all, the potentially erroneous data obtained may result in a false diagnosis and a loss of confidence in the device by the physician. A further complication arises from the fact that many of these devices are rather bulky, and somewhat difficult to use.
It is preferred that the flow measuring devices have a separate receptacle to receive and measure the urine discharge, and a lower container to receive the discharge from the receptacle, with the container being releasably attached to the receptacle. Accordingly, the receptacle may be cleared and sterilized for reuse, if desired, while the collected specimen of urine in the container may be retained for later diagnosis. If the receptacle is reused, it is desirable to use indicating means for the receptacle, if required, of simple and inexpensive construction, such that it may be readily replaced.